Controller and computer

Abstract

Provided is a controller including a housing and a position indicator that is provided at a front end of the housing and indicates a position in a space. The housing includes a marker provided along a circumferential direction on a side surface of the housing, the marker including a code for detecting a rotation angle about a housing shaft of the housing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A controller comprising:
 a housing having a cylindrical shape; and   a position indicator that is provided at a front end of the housing and comprises a physical tip configured to indicate a position in a three-dimensional (3D) space when a user moves the housing,   wherein the housing includes a marker provided along a circumferential direction of the housing on a side surface of the housing,   wherein the marker includes a plurality of regions arranged along the circumferential direction of the housing, each of the regions including one of a first figure or a second figure different from the first figure,   wherein the first figure does not have point symmetry and includes a protrusion or a depression, and   wherein the first figure or the second figure included in each of the regions arranged along the circumferential direction of the housing are arranged in a sequence that indicates a binary code that enables detection of a rotation angle about a housing shaft of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The controller according to  claim 1  wherein the second figure is a figure in a predetermined color. 
     
     
         3 . The controller according to  claim 1  wherein
 the marker is included in an image photographed by a camera, and 
 the plurality of regions of the marker includes different combinations of the first figure and the second figure. 
 
     
     
         4 . The controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the marker is arranged at a position where the marker is not hidden by a hand of the user when the user holds the housing.   
     
     
         5 . The controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the marker is arranged closer to a back end of the housing than to the front end of the housing.   
     
     
         6 . A computer that detects a posture of a controller, the controller including a housing having a cylindrical shape, and a position indicator that is provided at a front end of the housing and comprises a physical tip configured to indicate a position in a three-dimensional (3D) space when a user moves the housing, and the controller including a marker provided along a circumferential direction of the housing on a side surface of the housing, the marker including a plurality of regions arranged along the circumferential direction, each of the regions including one of a first figure or a second figure different from the first figure, the first figure not having point symmetry and including a protrusion or a depression, the first figure or the second figure included in each of the regions arranged along the circumferential direction of the housing being arranged in a sequence that indicates a binary code enables detection of a roll angle that is a rotation angle about a housing shaft of the housing, the computer comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to:
 acquire an image of the controller through an imaging device, 
 decode the marker included in the image, and 
 detect the roll angle based on a result of decoding the marker. 
 
 
     
     
         7 . The computer according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to:
 acquire a reference length of at least one of the first figure or the second figure in an axial direction of the housing, 
 acquire a distance from the imaging device to the controller, 
 detect an apparent length of the at least one of the first figure or the second figure included in the image, and 
 detect a pitch angle that is a rotation angle about a rotation axis orthogonal to an optical axis of the imaging device and the housing shaft, based on the reference length, distance, and apparent length. 
   
     
     
         8 . The computer according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to:
 determine a direction of the housing shaft based on an extension direction of the at least one of the first figure or the second figure, and 
 detect a yaw angle that is a rotation angle about the optical axis of the imaging device, based on a vertical direction and the direction of the housing shaft.